Discussion

TJ's dried apple ideas -- dried apple pie??

I recently bought a bag of Trader Joe's dried apple slices, looking for a healthy snack. These are the chewy, rather rubbery ones, already sweetened with sugar and cinnamon. Found out my husband and I don't prefer them for snacking (something about the texture), so I want to know what else I can do with them.

I have most of the (large) bag left. I have vague recollections of seeing on the price tag at TJ's: "Make these into a pie!" with no further instructions.

Any idea of how I would do this? Do I need to soak them in water first or something? How would I add enough moisture for this to work?

This is from an old and favorite book of mine called Southern Heritage Cakes.You soak 3 cups of the dried apples in water overnight, and then boil them with 1 1/2 cups of molasses until the molasses has been absorbed. Then you cream 1 cup of butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar, add 2 eggs and set aside. In another bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 cup of buttermilk (you can use half milk half yogurt)and in another bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 4 cups of sifted flour, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, 1 tsp. of ground cloves, and a shaving of nutmeg. Alternate dry ing. and buttermilk into the butter/sugar mixure, using a rubber spatula to fold in. Stir in the apple mixture, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of pecans.Frost with cream cheese frosting, penuche frosting or just a sprinkle of confectioners sugar. fayefood.com

I haven't tried them in a pie, but do use them a number of dishes where they will rehydrate and cook. For example, I recently make a Mexican style bread pudding (capirotada), and included diced dried apples along with raisins and walnuts. I've added them to a pumpkin bread, curies, fruit soups, red cabbage, and Indian pudding (baked cornmeal mush).